Exeter have announced the signing of Wales international wing Tom James.

James, 25, has agreed a two-year contract with the Chiefs and will join them from Cardiff Blues.

"Signing for Exeter is a great move for me," said James, who has won 10 caps but is not part of the current Wales squad.

"I've had a fantastic seven years with the Blues, and I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to play for them and for the support I've been shown over my career.

"There are many highlights I've had, including winning the EDF Energy and Amlin Challenge Cups, but I felt the time was right for a fresh challenge.

"Exeter are clearly an ambitious club, and having talked to the coaches about where they want to go and also the plans for the stadium, I felt I wanted to be a part of it all and experience something different.

"I think playing in the Premiership will definitely challenge me in different ways. It's an incredibly tough division, and the intensity you can see is there every week."

James becomes Exeter's first new signing for next season, and Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter believes he will be a major asset to the squad.

"We've had a good look at Tom over a period of time, and for us it's difficult to ignore proven try-scorers who have got a very good ability to break the gain-line," Baxter said.

"One of Tom's biggest attributes is his ability to beat that first tackle from almost any scenario, and I think that is the biggest quality you need when you come up against big, strong defences.

"From talking to Tom you could see he is ambitious, and that includes trying to play at the highest level. Obviously, he has played for Wales in the past and I am sure he will want to do that again in the future."